Last Call: A Smaude Fanfiction by FirestoneX
by firestonex
Summary: Maude has left Sourcefed. What will Sam do next?


Last Call

A Smaude Fanfic

By FirestoneX

Sam walked into work like he did every day. A month had passed since Maude left. Or was it two months? Three? It didn't really matter. To Sam everyday was pretty much the same since she left. On the surface, everything seemed normal. He hosted the show, talked about superheroes, and went on with business as usual. And yet there were times, when the studio became quite, and everyone was busy working on their own projects, that Sam would look up from his desk half expecting to see Maude approaching him to talk about her script, or to share a new pun she had thought of, or even to just talk about her day. It was in those moments of the day that Sam felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew he would miss Maude when she left, but it wasn't until after she was gone, that he truly realized just how much that was.

Maude would often stop by the studio and say hi to everyone and hang out, however the visits were getting more and more infrequent as her new job was taking up most of her free time these days. Sam looked at the clock with anticipation. Today she was supposed to stop by.

Finally, Maude arrived. Sam greeted her with a friendly hug. They talked and laughed and went on for nearly an hour recounting the events of the past week. Then she dropped the news. "My job is sending me out of town for a while," Maude declares. "I won't be back for over a month."

"Oh really?" Sam replied, as he let out a small startled cough. Maude makes a joke about it being like an all-expense paid vacation and that maybe she'll find a guy while she's away. She gives a halfhearted laugh and looks at Sam expecting a reply. "Maybe," Sam reply's bluntly. "I'm so happy that you like your new job," Sam continues with a smile. Maude smiles and looks at the clock. "Well, I guess I better get going. I leave tomorrow afternoon," Maude declared. There was a crackling in her voice. They said their goodbyes and Maude made her way out. She steps outside the building for a moment, takes a deep breath and walks away. A single drop of water could be seen on the sidewalk where she had just stood.

Sam arrived home later than usual. For some reason he didn't feel like leaving work today. It was getting late, so he got into bed. He tossed and turned for an hour before giving up on trying to sleep. He got up and decided to go into town. He found himself outside of a nearby bar, which he had never gone to before. It was a small, dim, run down bar, the kind he would normally never go to alone. Though for some reason, this felt right. He went in and sat at the bar. The bartender was a middle aged scruffy looking man with a grainy voice. "What'll it be?" the bartender bellowed. Sam ordered a shot of whiskey. The bartender poured it in front of him. Sam grabbed it and raised it to his lips to drink, but instead sat it back down. His mind began to race with thoughts of Maude, and their short time together. He started thinking about all the memories they shared, especially off camera, that were only between the two of them. Those were his favorites. It was special. Something only they will remember. He thought back to all the laughs they had, and the tears when she finally said goodbye.

Sam's heart began to pound faster as he started questioning himself. "Why didn't I ever say anything? Why didn't I ever tell her how much she means to me? Why did I treat everything like a joke?" Sam gets lost deeper in thought. He recalls how he had been hurt by relationships in the past, and didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with Maude, especially since they worked together. It would have been too hard to work with each other if things didn't work out. "It was for the best," Sam thought, trying to convince himself. But he couldn't shake his feelings. "It would be unfair to tell her now, anyways," Sam thought insistently. "She chose her career, and who am I to get in the way of it," he continued on. "Besides, who am I to think that I am even good enough for her?" his mind begins to race even faster.

Hours go by. Sam sits idle on the barstool, grasping the shot glass, but not moving an inch. His mind filled with WHAT-IF'S, WHY'S, and WHY NOT'S. Suddenly he is snapped out of it when the bartender lets out a loud and gruff, "LAST CALL!"

Sam, looks at his shot glass, realizing that he had been sitting in a daze for hours. With a sigh of defeat, he raises the shot glass up to his mouth. Right before he is able to turn the shot glass up, he hears a voice.

"Last call."

Sam freezes, shot glass up by his mouth. That voice he just heard. That was not the low bellowing of the bartender. No. This voice was soft, and had a sadness to it. He knew this voice. He lowered the shot glass back onto the table, and slowly turned around with a look of bewilderment on his face.

Standing not ten feet away was Maude. She was in a very plain white shirt with overalls, but Sam couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked. He was speechless, for a moment. "How did she find me?" he thought, "and what is she doing here?"

No words were spoken. They just stood there, looking at each other for a moment. Maude's hands were held together, clinched close to her chest. Her, eyes had a look of longing and sadness, as if she could begin to cry at any moment. Then Maude repeated again,

"Last call."

This time her voice was even softer. The words seemed to tremble out her lips. She stood there petrified, hoping her words would find meaning with him.

Sam, looked at her for a moment, then his shocked expression slowly turned into a smile. Without saying anything, he stood up. Slowly he took a step towards her. Maude mimicked his action. The next step was faster. Maude followed. The next steps were in a blink as they embraced each other with a massive hug. Maude put her head on his shoulder and began laughing and crying. Then with both hands, Sam held her face, looked her straight in the eye, slowly pulled her closer, and gave her a long, slow, deep kiss.


End file.
